Bag-filling machine.



G. L. HOYT.

BAG FILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12, 1909.

Patented Dec. 6,1910.

' 10 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H M mm M Mm w 2 T F G. L. HOYT.

BAG FILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.12,1909.

Patented Dec. 6,1910.

' 10 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

G. L. HUYT.

BAG FILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12, 1909. 977,632. Patented Dec. 6,1910.

.10 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

away/@222 a5 W g'mwk 1d M G. L. HOYT.

BAG FILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12, 1909.

977,632. Patented Dec. 6,1910.

10 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

v G. L. HOYT.

BAG FILLING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED HOVJIZ, 1909.

Patented Dec.6,1910.

G. L. HOYT.

BAG FILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12, 1909.

yi v Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

10 QHEETS-BHEET 7- 99 E5912 G. L. HOYT.

BAG FILLING MACHINE.

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G. L. HOYT. BAG FILLING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12, 1909.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

10 SHEETS-SHEET 9.

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G. L. HOYT.

BAG FILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12, 1909. Patented Dec. 6,

10 SHEETB8HEET 10.

witnesses: 51m; Mo's g 3313 63015 To all whom it may concern:

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. f GUY L. HOYT, orivnw' roman. Y ASSTGNOBi r0 Bonner earn COMPANY, or isnoox- LYN, new 12031:, n CORPORATION on NEW YORK.

BAG-FILLING MACHINE.

- I Specification of Letters lfatent.

Be it knownthat I, GUY L. HoY'r, a citizen of the United States, residing. at New York city, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bag-Filling Machines, of

which, the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for antomatically filhng bags, such as flat envelops,

' with seed, powder or material of a like nature, and sealing the filled bags. 7

It embodies or may embody devices for taking the empty bags from a stack, charging them with the material, gumming, folding and pressing the flaps-to seal the bags,

. and finally stacking the filled and sealed bags.

To arrest the machine and stop the flow of material when the bags are absent or fail to feed properly, suitable stop-motion devices may be incorporated. Y

The object of my inventionds to improve a machine of this character in its several functions as well .asto provide a new mode of coordinating those functions, to the end that the efliciency andrate of outputjnay be increased, greater durability secured, and ,econormes effected in the cost of building and operating the machine.

Of the accompanyingdrawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment, Figure'l represents a plan view ofthe machine. Fig.

- 2 represents an -elevation of the left side. Fig. 3 represents a vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a parl tial front elevation and median vertical section.

Fig. 5 represents a vertical section on the line 55 of Fig. 1. Fig.6 represents an elevation of the right-hand side ofthe baglifter. Fig. 7 represents a plan view of the mechanism associated with. the discharge opening of the hopper. 'Fig. 8 represents a section on the line 88 ofFi 1. Fig. 9 represents a plan of one of t e, revolving bag-carriers.- Fi, 9 'rep'resent-s arear elevation. of one of t e funnels and bag-carriers with a bag positioned thereon. Fig. 10 represents a vertical section ofthe means for feeding. the empty bags from a stack- Fig. 11- represents a similar view with the parts in a different. position.- Fig. 12 represents an axial section of the bag-feeding roll.

Fig. 13 represents an elevation of the lifter about to grasp abag delivered by the bag- Patented Dec. 6, 19-10. v

packer. Fig. 23 represents a rear elevation of the bag-filling means. Fig. 24 represents an elevation of the left side thereof. Fig.

25 represents a vertical section of parts of the material feeder. Fig. 26 represents a front elevation of this feeder,'partly in section.

In general, the features of this machine are as follows.

veyer belts, which then carry the bags in procession horizontally under a revolving table to a curved guide which turns the bags into a vertical position ready to be elevated by a vertically-reciprocating lifter.

The latter comprises 'a pair of jaws which grasp the lip of the bag and draw it up onto one of a series of funnels, said jaws having associated with them a feeler controlling certain mechanism which arrests the ma chine when no ha is present. The funnels are carried around horizontally with an intermittent motion, during the pauses of and below each funnel is a pair of carrier jaws converging upwardly so as to open the bag-as the latter is drawn between said jaws onto-the funnel, and also adapted to hold the bag after it is filled and while the funnel is withdrawn. The bag is carried horizontally under the filling mechanism, which charges it during a pause, and from there, still movin in a horizontal arc, it passes between 'a ielt and a backing-ring which First, the empty bags are stacked in a vertical pile, open-end first and- -which the bags are drawn onto the funnels,

keep it from tilting while-the flap is being" gummed by a pasting device and folded over to seal the mouth, after which the bag is taken bya wheela-nd another belt which hold the sealed end under pressure between 7 them and from thence it is dropped in front ward. oscillation of the gripper at a faster of a reciprocating presser which storesthe =filled and sealed bags in a horizontal pack ready for removal.

. The mechanism for holding the empty bags in a stack and feeding them therefrom,

which isshow'n principally in Figs. 1, 3, 4,.

10, 11 and 12, forms the subject of a separate 'ap lication, Serial No. 576,111, and need on y bebriefly described. Any other suit-' able bag-feeding mechanism may of course; be used in its place. I believe myself however to be the first to automatically feed the bags'one by one to a conveyer such as the belts 49, 50 hereinafter described, whereby they are advanced edgewise in procession to a mechanism which applies the bags to a funnel or series of funnels or other bagholders, and this combination forms a part of my present invention. is the stack platform with vertical guides 3l and a front "stop 32 for holding the bags 33 in a vertical pile with their flaps 3.4 impinging against the stop and their under lips 35 presented downwardly. Inthis description the flap side or ply of the bag is considered the back, and the under-lip side or-ply the front. 36 is a feed roll mounted on a shaft 37 which is rotated by a spur and chain gearing 38, 30'

39, 40 from the, main driving-shaft 41 carryingthe fast and loose belt-pulle'ys 42, 43,

"sald feed roll being provided with a gear 44 whereby, through an intermediate pinion 45 and gear 46, is driven a shaft 47 having a pulley 48' which carries theflower one of a pair of conveyer belts 49, 50',- thefupper belt passing around a pulley" 151-having a gear 52 which meshes'w1th ,thegear 46. On

a rock shaft 53 within the roll is a gripper 54 retractedin the directionof rota-- .tion of the roll by a spring 55, and having an arm 56 whose stud'57 intermittently 'engages'and is turned backward against the tension of spring by "a stationary segmental cam 58. This cam produoeSfa backratethan the forward progression of the roll periphery, so that-the lower lip-of'the lowermost vbag is grasped and the latter' drawn down under the stop 32 and started from under the pile. A klcker or agitator .59 mounted on a rock shaft 60 atone end of which is an arm 61 enga ed by a can 1'62 on the shaft of the feed ro serves to loosenthe remainder of the pack from the bag which is being withdrawn; After the gripper 54 has advanced the bag a short dis-' tance it flies back into the interior of the:

feed roll and a presser roll 63 then comes down upon the periphery of the feed roll 36 and meshes its gear 64 with the feed-roll gear 44, whereby the bag is advanced into the throat between the conveyer belts. Roll 63 is carried by a rock-frame 65 operated by a cam 66 on the lower beltpulley shaft .lifter to take the foremost ba 47, whereby the r reciprocating motion is imparted which allows the presser roll to avoid the gripper.

. The operative stretch of the lower belt is supported on a stationary table 67 (Fig.

3) and that of the upper belt is held down by a hinged plate 68-. At the remote ends of these stretches the belts 49, 50 pass'around a pair of idle ulleys 69, 70, whose bearings have a vertica screw adjustment 71.

The belts 49, 50 advance the. bags horizontally in procession from the bag-feeding devices into a curved guide 72 which engages the side edges of the bags and turns them into a vertical position ready to be grasped by the lifter and carriedto the upper or bagfilling level. The reason for feeding the bags endwise in procession to the lifter intened to, and a movable jaw; 74 pivoted on,

a slide 75 which, moves up and down on a vertical guide 76 and is reciprocated through alink 77, rock-arms 78, 79, and a pitman 80 from a wrist-pin 81 carried by a hand-wheel 82 on the main driving shaft 41.

For operation of the movable lifter-j aw 74 there isa spring 83 for yieldingly holding this jaw against the fixed jaw-73 (see Figs. 6 and 13), and a roller stud 84 enga ing the front edge of a pendulous bar 85 Figs. 2, 13 and 14), this .bar being hung on a pivot 86 from the upper end of the guide 76, and

its lower end swung by a horizontal lever 87, link 88, vertical lever 89 retracted. by spring 89*, and a cam 90 (Figs. 3 and 4) on a horizontal shaft 91 driven from the shaft 41. As the lifter on its downward movement approaches guide 72 in 'whicha bag is presented, the bar 85 swings forward against the stud 84 and opens the movable jaw 74 so as to admitthe forward or under lip of the bag between the two jaws and allow the beak or nose of the movable jaw to enter the mouth of the bag.

- Near its upper end, the bar 85 has a cam- -projection 93 the purpose of which is to slightly separate the movable jaw from the of-thelatters stroke when the bag has been drawn onto one of the funnels as shown by full lines in Figs. 2 and 3, and thereby permit the further upward movement of the lifter and its withdrawal from the bag with out tearing the latter. While the lifter fixed jaw of the lifter near the upper end pauses at the top of its stroke, the funnel carrying the bag moves horizontally from gamma from guide 72, the beak of the movable jaw 74 in separating from the. fixed jaw 73, presses the back ply of the bagslightly away from the front ply thereof, as shown in-Fig; '13,and descends a considerable distanceinto the opening of the bag until the fixed jaw comes opposite the under lip' (see lower V dotted position of the lifter in Fig. 3), whereupon the bar 85 retreats, the lifter aws close upon the lip of the bag, and the lifter ascends carrying the bag with it from the guide 72 to the upper or bag-filled level where it places the bag in one of the holders composed of carrier jaws and funnel, as hereinafter described.

Believing myself to be the first to individually'grasp and lift or otherwise draw a bag, mouth foremost, into a holder or onto a funnel through which it is'filled,,or to feed the bags one-by-one to a lifter or other draw-. ing device forperforming this function, I do not intend to limit myself to the articu lar devices herein shown 'for per orming these operations.

Associated with the lifter is a stop-motion device including a feeler 94 pivoted at- 95 to the slide 75 and having a nose adapted to project throu h an a erture 96 in the jaw- 74 (Fig. 6') a ter the llfter has failed to find a bag in the guide 72 at the lower end of itsstroke, and having also a notched end 97 adapted to encounter or avoid, according as the bag is absent or present, a shoulder 98 (Figs. 6 and 14) on ayertically sliding stop-' "bar 99 mounted alongside of the lifter-guide 76. This bar has a projection 100 at its lower end cooperating with a latch 101 turning on the upper end of an arm 102 and normally projected into operative position by a spring 103. Theprojection 101 .is beveled on its lower side so that in descending it displaces the latch 101 and the latter springs back over the projection. Arm 102 is mounted on a rock-shaft 104 which carries a stop or filler 105 movable into and out of the path of the heel of a hand-lever 106, the latter being attached to the shaft 107 of a belt-shipper 108 whereby the driving belt 109 (Fig. 2) is shifted from the fast pulle 42 to the loose pulle 43 and vice .Versa. X 55 spring 110 connecte with the lower end of the hand-lever normall tends to ship the belt from the fast to t e loose pulley, but when the hand-lever is turned to move the belt onto the fast pulley and thus start the machine in operation, the weight of the connections including arm 102 on the rear side of rock-shaft 104 draws the stop into the v a path of the hand-lever and maintains the bag is present in the guide 72 to be elevated by the lifter, the front ply of the bag keeps the lifter retracted when the stud 112 enters the funnels after the bag has been partly,

nels.

hipper in a running position. spring 111 on the lifter slide 75, pressing against the upperarm of'the feeler 94 tends to hold a stud 112 on the lower arm of the feeler against the front edge of a verti'cal slot 113 in the guide 76, said slot hav- .ing a narrow lower part and a wide upper part betwe'enwhich is a cam-shoulder 114;.

As thelifter descends, this cam-shoulder retracts thefeeler to permitthe entrance of the bag lip betweefi the lifter jaws, and if a the wide part of the slot. .This causes the notched'end 97 of the feeler to avoid the shoulder-98 .on stop-bar 99, but if the bagis missin this shoulder will be encountered and the ifter will raise bar 99, causing the projection 100 to oscillate the arm 102 and .withdraw the step 105 from the path of hand-lever 4106, whereupon the spring 110 causes the belt to'be shifted and the machine .automatically stopped.

. 115 is a wheel or table mounted to revolve on a fixed'vertic'al spindle 116 and carrying a series of radial funnel, arms 117, here shown as six in number, pivoted at points 118 to thehub of the table. These arms are elevated by springs 119 and depressed by a j stationary cam 120 whose lower acting face engages rollers 121 .on'the funnel arms, the arrangement bein such that the funnels are depressed just be die they come in front of the lifter, and elevated again after passing the filling devices and before reaching the gumming mechanism.

At the outer ends of the arms 117 are funnels 122, whose lower rims are beveled to engagethev mouth edges of the bag and enable the latter to be readily drawn upon opened by the carriers underneath the fun- The rotar table 115 has on its lower side a series of ag-carriers mounted below the several funnels and each composed of a pair of jaws 123, 123 which are V-shaped in'horizontal section and converge upwardly as represented in Fig. 9 so that when a bag 33 is drawn by the lifter up between the jaws onto one of the funnels 1 22 it will-be opened. inorder to receive'the, snout of the funnel, the latter, because of its tapered shape, completing the opening. Thus, while the jaws cooperate with the funnels, they are below the latter and hold the bags independently of thefunnels.

As I believe it to be new with me to embrace or open a flat bag by externally engaging and converging the side edges of its mouth to permit the filling of the bag, or to hold it between jaws while .a funnel previously positioned in the bag is being withdrawn during the course of a horlzontal edgewise progression of the bag, I do not limit-myself to the employment of the exact devices shown for performing these operations. v

The carrier jaws are attached t6 arms 124 pivoted on studs 125 and drawn together by springs 126. Between each pair of arms is interposed a cam 127 whose stud carries a short arm 128 which drags against a stationary cam 129, the latter having two steps 130, 131, as seen in Fig. 21, whereby the jaws are first opened slightly to permit the proper alinement of the filled bag as the latter approaches the gumming'mechanism, and then more fully to permit its departure from the arc of travel of the funnels and carriers into the embrace of the belt and wheel which holds the adherent surfaces of the sealed bag under pressure. Then just before coming opposite the lifter again, each pair of carrier jaws closes to receive and open a fresh bag as described.

A bevel gear 132 on the lower side of table 115 meshes with a bevel pinion 133 (Fig. 4) on the driven shaft 91,.which latter, it will be noted, is parallel and out of line with the driving shaft 41. Intermittent motion is imparted from the driving to the driven shaft by means of cranks 134, 135 on the respective shafts, having a sliding connection consisting ofa radial groove 136 in the driving-crank 134 occupied by a wrist-block 137 on the driven crank 135. The circular path of this wrist-block embraces the axis of crank 134, eccentrically, and therefore when the cranks are up, as shown in Fig. 4, the uniform rotation of the driving shaft imparts to the driven shaft a relatively slow motion which amounts toa pause or rest,

and a relatively fast motionwhen the cranksv are down. This mechanism for securing an intermittent rotation operates more quietly and with less racking than the pawl and ratchet or other devices heretofore employed in rotary bag-filling machines, and is also positive or incapable of over-throw. The pauses of the table are nearly full stops, and

. uring these pauses the lifter 73, 74 locates the bags successively on the funnels, and the filling mechanism during the next pause charges the bag through the funnel. This filling mechanism per 86', which I will now briefly describe, forms the subject of aseparate application, Serial No. 576,112, and any other bag-filling means may be used in its place, but the'combination of an automatic other means for automaticall stop-motion with. the measuring slides or shutting off the flow of material when t e "machine is stopped, forms a part of my present invention. 138 is a hopper for the seed, powder,

or other material with which the bags are to be filled, 'thesame containing a stirrer 139 'on a vertical shaft 140which is rotated by a beltzl4l passing over a pulley 142 on said shaft, a pulley 143 on the shaft 37, and a pair of idle pulleys 144. The lower or discharge mouth of this funnel or hopper is provided with a measuring device consisting of an iris-diaphragm composed ofa pair of slides 145, 146 adapted to include an adjustable opening between them, whereby the rate of flow of the material is apportioned to the rate of progression of the bag-holders. Slide 145 is attached to a slide-bar 147 which connects withlthe slide 146 by a lever 148 pivoted at a fixed point 149 so that the slides have equal opposite movements. 150 is a hand lever with a fixed fulcrum at 151 and a slotted connection with a stud 152 on the slide bar 147, whereby the slides may be opened against the tension of a spring 153 attached to this stud. The maximum open ing is determined by a gage nut 154 abutting against a fixed stop 155 and having its position with relation to the slide bar 147 varied by means of an adjusting screw 156 rotatable in an ear 157 on the slide bar, but prevented from moving longitudinally therein. The upper end of nut 154 is a pointer '00- operating with an index 158 on the slide bar to show the amount of opening. These slides are also controlled by the stop-motion device through the medium of a stop screw 159, in the path of the heel of hand-lever 150 and mounted on a lever 160 connected by a link 161 with an arm 162 on the shaft 104 previously described, so that when feeler 94 on the lifter slide detects the absence of a bag and stops the machine, the stop screw 159 will also be moved out of the path of hand lever 150 and the slides will be closed by their spring 153 so as to stop the flow of material from the hopper. 163 is a threevaned rotary charge-segregating and chargepropelling valve mounted on a horizontal shaft 164 in a casing 165 below the measuring slides, said shaft having fixed toit a three-pointed cam 166 against which a roller 167 is held by a spring 168 attached to a pivoted arm 169 carrying the roller. This cam carries a pin 170 working with lost motion in a segmental depression 171 in the hub 172 of a bevel-gear wheel 173 loose on the feeder shaft 164, and gear 173 meshes with a second bevel-gear174 carrying a star wheel 175 ,which is tripped at the proper times by a series of studs 176 on the table 115. The first part of the movement of the three-vaned feeder wheel or valve, when actuated by one of the studs 176 and the inter vening mechanism, is'uniform, and the last portion is accelerated through the action of the cam, spring and lost-motion device as will be readily understood.

After the bag receives a charge of material, the funnel rises to withdraw from its mouth while the carrier jaws are still closed on the bag, and then these jaws open slightly so that the bag will remain loosely embraced in the holder formed by the jaws and funnel, 1ts lower edge being supported on a stationcarriers, I the backing-ring being carried around merely by the driving friction of the table and the -belt 17 9. The purpose of this eccentricity is to keep 't-hebags' away from '20 ary segmental platform 180." In this condi-' while carryingit through the gumming and flap-turning devices.-

A fiange'181 holds the backing-ring 178 down against the surface of table 115 and a pair. of rollers 182, 183 (Fig. 1) inside of the rim of the backing-ring cause the-latter to describe a path eccentric to the axis of rotation'of the table and of the funnels and bag the backing-rin while they are being located in the hol ers and filled under the hopthe per 138, and permit them to be vertically alined on the platform 180 when the holders open as described, -after which the bags are supported against the backing-ring during mming and flap-turning operations.

Belt 179 follows a segment of the backingring178 and is carried by idle-pulleys 184,

.gum-lifti'n zontal sha 194 with the lower portion of.

185, 186 and driven by'the smaller cylinder 187 of a large stepped pulley '188, the-latter being intermittently rotated intime with the table 115 by bevel gearing 189, 190, 191 from the table gear 132- (Fig. 8). 1 a

The gumming or pasting mechanism here shown (to the specific construction of which I do not herein lay claim or limit myself) comprises asot 192 (Figs, 1 and 5) for holding i adhesive material (or for holding the liqu water if the flaps are already gummed), a

wheel 193 rotating on a horithe wheel immersed in the gum, said wheel having a groove 195' formed on its inner face, atransfer wheel 196 rotating ona vertical-shaft 197 with its edge occupying the uppermost part of the groove 195 whereby the um is carried around't'o the lip of the enve op as indicated by the relation of the parts in Figs. 5 and 15, and a spring-guide 198 for supporting the back of the envelop flap and formed with anaperture 199 to receive themargin of the transfer wheel 196 when no bag 1s present. There ';is also in- 'cluded' a wiper 200 in thelfojrm. of a plate pivoted at 201 and adjustableby a thumbscrew 202 for removing excesslgum from the using partofz'groove195, a fixed wiper-plate '20() below the adjustable wi' er 200jfor clearingthe rest of the groove face of, the wheel, and another wipler' 203 embracing thee transfer wheel 196 lower faces of said-wheel. I 3 Transfer wheel 196' rolls a streak of, gum

onto the' flap ofthe ienvelopas -the latter flap is turned into a horizontal passes between said wheel and the springguide 198, and immediately thereafter the v osition, as indicated in Fig. 17 ,by means 0 a horizontally-oscillating flap-turner 205 intermittently projected'overthe upper edge of a fixed segmental former 204 by a series of studs 206 on the revolving'table 115, and re-- tracted by a spring 207. This flap-turner is pivotedto a stud 208 which carries the roll 183 on one arm'ofa fixed spider 209. From the flap-turner 205 and former 204 the'ba -immediately passes into'a'; fixed seg- I menta flap-folder 210, successive sections of which are shown in Figs. 18, 19, and 20, said 0 folder causing the bent gummed flap to beturned down-upon the under lip of the bag,

whereby the latter. becomes sealed. Next, the upperend of the sealed bagpasses between the larger cylinder 211 ofwheel 188 and a belt 2.12 which partially-encircles the same and passes around the idle pulleys 183 and 213 carried onthe arms of the spider 209. This belt'andwheel holdthe gummed surfaces under pressure until the ba reaches a chute 214, U-shapedin horizonta section,

which arrests thebag released from thebelt and-momentarily holds it with its lower edge resting on a shelf 215 (see Figs. 21, 22) formed at the upper end of a reciprocating plunger or presser 21,6, the latter bein mounted on a slide 217 which is connected with a bell-crank 218 having a roller 219 engaged by a cam 220 revolving with thefltable I 115 the bell-crank being retracted by a spring 221. The U-shaped chute 214' and the shelf 215hafve the eii'ect' of alining the envelop in a vertical. osition before it drops through a guide or c ute section 222 on the plungerin front of the acting face of said plunger. This takes place when the plunger has been retracted to the dotted-hue po- 'sition shown in Fig. 22,v and on its next forward reciprocation the plunger carries the bag into a'guide-way223, the sides of this guideway having spring catches 224 which v yield to permit the. accession of each succeeding bag but which prevent the face of the pack-from returning with the plunger as the latter is retractedd A suitable friction block or follower ,(not shown) may be placed in the guide-way to support the back of the ac s P While I. havenot attempted to show any modifications in the mode of organizing the elements of my. invention orin the specific structure of the devices forperformin the several described,operationsupon the v ags.

it will beunders'tood that considerable variation of embodiment is contemplated as within the scope of the invention, both as7a whole and inits'iseveral parts.

- I claim-ye; J t 1 -1.' In a bag-filling machine, vthecombina- I tion'ofa seriesofbag-holders, means for 7 onto said funnels,

automatically and separately grasping the bags and raising them into conjunction with said holders, and means for presenting the bags in succession to said grasping means.

2. In a bag-filling machine, the combination of a horizontally-revolving series of bag-holders, means for grasping the bags individually and automatically drawing them successively up into conjunction with said holders, and means for filling the bags in said holders. 7

3. In a bag-filling machine, the combination of a horizontally-revolving series of funnels, means for automatically and separately grasping the bags and raising them and means for presenting the bags in succession to said grasping means.

4;. In a bag-filling machine, the combination of a bag-holder having a pair of upwardly-convergent jaws adapted to externally embrace the side edges of a flat bag to hold the bag open, and means for relatively moving said jaws to open and close them.

5. The combination of a funnel, mechanism for grasping a flat bag and placing it upon the funnel, and means for externally engaging and contracting the side ed es of the bag to open the latter as the bag is ad- I vanced upon the funnel.

6. The combination of a funnel to enter the mouth of a fiat bag, means for grasping ,the bag and placing it upon the funnel, aws

for engaging the side edges of the bag and opening it during the placing movement, and means for opening said jaws to release the bag.

7. In a bag-filling machine, the combination of a pair of upwardly-convergent jaws to engage the side edges of a flat bag, means for drawing the bag upwardly mouth-endfirst between said jaws to open the bag, and means for filling a bag held between said jaws. 1

8. In a bag-filling machine, the combination of a horizontally-revolving series of funnels, a series'of pairs of carrler jaws below said funnels for holding open the bags thereon, means for opening and closi'ngsald jaws, and means for automatically raising the bags between said jaws onto the funnels.

9. The combination of a funnel to enter the mouth of a fiat bag, means for grasping the bag and placing it upon the funnel, ek-

' ternal bag-contracting means for'exerting lateral edgewise pressure to 0 en the bag, and operating devices for openlng said bagcontracting means and for withdrawing the funnel to' release the bag.

' 10. The combination of a horizontally revolving funnel to enter the mouth of a bag, and a pair of upwardly-convergent carrier jaws positioned below saidfunnel for engaging the side edges of an upwardly drawn 11a The combination of a horizontally movable funnel, means for drawing a ba up onto said funnel, means for filling the bag, means for holding the bag by its side edges while being filled, and means for withdrawing the, funnel upwardly from the filled bag while so held.

12. The combination of a horizontally revolving funnel mounted for rising and falling movement, a bag carrier independently supported below said funnel to revolve therewith, means for automatically filling the bag, drawing the funnel upwardly from the mouth of the bag held by said carrier.

13. The combination of a horizontally revolving funnel having a falling movement to reach its bag-filling level and a rising movement to release the bag, a revolving pair of carrier jaws below said funnel, and means for automatically separating said jaws to release the bag.

14. The combination of a horizontally revolving funnel, a cam to force said funnel downwardly to its bag-filling level, a spring to raise the funnel, and means for automatically raising a bag onto said funnel while the latter is in its depressed position.

15. The combination of a horizontally revolving support having a radial series of tunnel arms pivoted to move in vertical planes, funnels vat the outer ends of said arms, springs to raise the outer ends of the arms in succession, a stationary cam to successively depress the outer ends of the arms, and means for automatically drawing bags in succession mouth-foremost up onto said funnels while in their depressed positions.

. 16. The combination of means for holding fiat bags horizontally in a stack with their flaps projecting movement, feedin means for advancing the bags singly, mouth-foremost from the lower face of the stack, means for conveying the bag horizontally and then upwardly to the filling devices, and means for filling the bags in their upright position.

17. The combination of means for holding in the direction of feeding a bag in position to be filled, a lifter for raising the bag into conjunction with said holdingmeans, a feeder for taking the bags oneby-one from a stack, and a conveyer for carrying the bags from thefeeder to the lifter.

18. The combination of means for holding a stack of bags, a feeder for taking the bags one-by-one from said stack, an endless conveyer for carrying the bags away from said feeder, bag holding means, means for filling the bags in said holding means, and means for advancing the bags from said conveyer to said holdin means.

19. The com ination of a horizontally-re volving bag-holder, means for supporting a the bags from the feeder under feeding the bags from the stack and advanc-- ing them under the plane of revolution'of the holder, means for lifting the bags into conjunction with the holder, and means for filling the bags in the holder.

20. The combination of a horizontally rotating table having means for holding the bags while being filled, a supporter for a stackof ha e located at one side of and below the table, means at the opposite side of the table for lifting the bags into conjunction with the bag holding means, a feeder for taking the bags from the face of the stack, and an endless conveyor for carrying the table to the lifting means. I

21. The combination of means for holding a bag in position to be filled, a lifter for. raising the bags into conjunction with said holding-means, means for conveying the bags in a horizontal posture edgewise in processionto said lifter, and means for turning the bags into an upright posture for engagement by the lifter.

22. The combination of aholder to position a bag while being filled, a conveyer for advancin the bags edgewise in procession with their flaps extended, and means for grasping the mouthedge of the bags delivered by said conveyer and drawing them mouth-end foremost into conjunction with the holding means.

23. The combination of means for holding a flat bag while being filled, a conveyer for advancing the bags in procession mouth-end foremost, a stationary curved guide for turning the course of the bags,-'and means for grasping the mouth edge of the bag and drawing it into conjunction with the holding means.

24. The combination-of a horizontally re- I volving series of bag-holders, a horizontal tion of a bag-holder, a lifter having jaws Y for grasping the lip ofa flat bag and drawing it up into conjunction with said holder,

and means for operating said lifter to raise and lower it and to openand close its jaws.

26. The combination of means for holding a bag while being filled, means for presenting the bag mouth-foremost, and recip-.

rocating means including a pair of co-acting 'aws one of which enters the mouth of the 'ag while the other engages the outside of.

its'u'nder lip for grasping the bag and drawin it mouth-foremost into conjunction with said holding means.

27. The combination of a horizontallymovable bag-holder, means for presenting the bags below said holder, a lifter for grasping "the bags and-drawing them up into conjunction with the holder, said lifter comprising apair ofjaws for engaging opposite sides of the under lip of the bag,

" means for imparting a rising and falling movement to said lifter, and means for relatively opening and closing said jaws.

28. The combination of a revolving series of, funnels, means for charging the bags through said funnels, and means for drawing the bags onto said funnels comprising a reciprocating pair of jaws adapted .to grasp a lip of the bag between them.

29. The combination of a baghold er,' a reciprocating pair of jaws adapted to grasp a bag and draw it into conjunction with said holder, and a stationarily-mounted reciprocating member for operating said jaws to control their relative opening and closing movement.

30. The combination of bag-holder,

lifter slide, a stationary vertical uidestructure for said slide, a pair of fifting jawsmounted on said slide and adapted to grasp the ba and draw it into conjunction with the hold e able and retracted by a spring, a pendulous I bar pivoted to said guide and adaptedto engage and open the movable jaw, and means for oscillating said bar.

31. The combination of a ha -holder, avertical lifter-guide, a pair of l'fter'jaws .mounted to reciprocate on said guide and adapted to grasp the ha and draw itup into conjunction with sai holder, a pendulous bar having a camfor opening the jaws as they approach the limit of their upward movement, and means for oscillating said bar to open the jawsas they descend to r, one of said jaws being n1ovgrasp the bag, and to effect their closure upon the lip of the bag.

32. The combination of means for holding a bag to be filled, a lifter'for drawing the bag upwardly into conjunction with said 1 means, a feeler associated with said lifter for dejzecting the presence of the bag, and

means controlled by said feeler for stopping the machine when a bag is mlssmg,

33. The combination of a revolving series of bag-holders, means for grasping the bags hol and placing them in successlon in said ers, and a stop-motion device hav ng a feeler assoclated with said grasping means for arrestingthemachine when a 'bag is missing.

34. The combination of a seriesof bagholders, means for graspin bag-fil ing means, means power to drive the aforesaid elements, a

the bags and placin them in succession 1n said holders,

for applying shipper predisposed to effect the disc'onnec tion of the power, a stop device controlling the shipper for maintaining-the power coning the bags in the holder,

nection, and a feeler associated with said grasping means and controlling said device.

35. The combination of a bag-holder, a reciprocatingbag-grasping device for placa spring-projected feeler associated with said grasping device, means for positively retracting said feeler, stopping member encountered by said feeler when the latter is projected, and avoided by the'feeler when the latter is retracted.

36. The combination of a bag-grasping device, a slide on which the latter is'mounted, a spring-projected feeler mounted on said slide, a stationary guide for said slide formed with a cam for retracting the feeler, a stationarily-mounted member encountered or avoided by said feeler according as the latter is projected or retracted, and stopmechanism connected with said member for arresting the machine.

. 37 In a bag-filling machine, thecombination of a bag-holder, means for intermittently propelling the same in a horizontal orbit, means for grasping a bag individually by its mouth lip and drawing it onto said holder during a pause in the latters movement, and means for filling the bag during a subsequent pause.

nels, and means for sealing the bags while still positioned under the tunnels.

40.'The combination .of a horizontallymovable series of bag-holders adapted to be opened and closed, means for im arting intermittent progression thereto, evices for applying the bags to the holders and for charging the bags during their pauses,

means for opening the holders after the bags have left the charging device, and means for sealing the bags while in the opened holders.

41. The combination of bag-filling and sealing devices, means for carrying the bags upwardly in succession to the filling level, and meansfor carrying the bags horizontally at the same level from the filling device through the sealing device.

42. The combination of arevolving series of funnels, a series of bag-carriers mounted below and revolving with said funnels, bagfillin means, means for automatically opening t e carriers after the bags are. filled, and

and a stationarily-mounted machinepoints around the circle and adapted a platform for supporting the bottoms of:

the filled bags while loose 1n the carriers.

43. In a'bag-filling machine, the combi nabacks of the bags after they are filled and remains in engagement while they are being sealed. y

44. In a bag-filling machine, the combination of means for imparting a horizontal edgewise progression to the bags at one, level, means for filling and sealing the bags" 1n succession during such progression, and devlces travellng on opposlte sldes of the bag for clamping a zone of the bag below the sealing zone during the sealing operation.

a backing-ring and traveling belt for clamping the bags between them in an upright positiomiand means for sealing the bags so clamped. Y

46. The combination of a of holders for flat bags, and sealing the bags while in said holders,

revolving series a circular back-support for the bagseccentric to the orbit of theholders, and a front support cooperating therewith to hold the bags from tilting edgewise while being sealed.

47. The combination of a revolving series of bag-holders, means for filling the bags,

'means for gumming and turning their flaps,

a ring eccentric to the path of the bagholders for supporting the backs of the bags while being gummed, and a belt cooperating with said ring for engaging the fronts of the bags.

48. The combination of a volving series of bag-hol sealing the-bags,

horizontally re- 7 ders, means for a belt forengagingthe fronts of the bags while being sealed,'and a ring frictionally rotated by said belt for supporting the backs of the bags.

- 49. The combination-of a yolving series of funnels, means for filling and sealing the bags, means for retracting the funnels upwardly from the bags after the latter are filled, and means actingthereafter to clamp the upper portions of the bags during their progression under the retracted funnels while'being sealed,

50. The combination ofa horizontally re volving the bags the funnels from the bags when the latter are filled, means for gumming the flaps of series of funnels,'means for filling ing gummed, and a rotarysup ort for the backs of the bags cooperating'with said belt.

45. The combination of bag-filling means,

means for filling horizontally retherethrough, means for retracting the bags during their horizontal progression- 7 below the retracted funne1s, a belt for engaging the front sides of the bags while beand folding the flaps of the bags, and holdwise, devices for filling and sealing the bags,

51. The combination of means for carry- H ing a series of bags in a continuous horizontal path "at one level, a horizontally revolving series of funnels adapted to occupy the mouths of the bags during a portion of such traverse, and means for automatically filling the bags through said funnels, withdrawing the funnels upwardly, gumming ing the folded flaps under pressure during succeeding portions of such horizontal traverse of the bags.

52. The combination of means for carrying'a series of bags in a substantially horizontal are at one level, means for filling the bags and gumming and folding their flaps while so carried, and means for carrying the bags with their flaps under'pressu're in a path departing from said are in the same horizontal plane. 1

53. The combination of means for filling bags in succession, means for gumming and folding the flaps of the bags, a backing-ring and-a pulley located on opposite sides of the path of the bags, for supporting the latter while their flaps are being gummed and held under pressure, and bag-clamping belts cooperating with said ring and pulley respectively anterior and posterior to the flapfolding means. 5

54. The combination of devices for filling and sealing a series of bags, means for advancing the bags horizontally edgewise through the sealing device, a packer, and means for momentarily arresting and alin-" ing each sealed bag and then dropping it into said packer.

55. The combination of means for -ad- Vancing a series of bags horizontally edgea chute for arresting and dropping the sealed bags, and a plunger reciprocated under the mouth of said chute and having a shelf on which the bag temporarily rests before droppin 56. The com tiination of means for ad vancing a series of bags horizontally edgewise, devices for filling and sealing the bags, a chute substantially U-shaped in a horizontal plane, against which the advancing bags are arrested and through which they drop by gravity, and apacker locatied belowthe mouth of said chute.

57. The combination of devices for filling and sealing a series ofv flat bags, a chute through which the sealed bags are dropped,

a horizontally reciprocating plunger 'in I front of which-they are dropped, and a holderfor storing the packed bags, having I catch-devices adapted to yield to admit the bags advanced by the plunger and prevent the return of the face of the pack.

58. Ina bag-filling" machine, the combi nation of a hopper having a dischargeopening, means for presenting a series of bags in succession to be filled from said hopper, means for detecting the absence of a bag, and mechanism controlled by said detecting means for automaticallyclosing the discharge-opening of said hopper when a bag is absent.

59. The combination of a hopper for the filling material, a measuring diaphragm at the 'mouththereof adjustable to vary the size of the discharge-opening, means for presenting 'bags in succession to be filled from the ,hopper, means .for detecting the absence of a bag, andmechanism controlled by said detecting means for automatically operating said diaphra m to shut offv the flow from the hopper when a bag is absent.

60. In a bag-filling machine, the combination of a deviceforgrasping-a bag to be filled, apag-feeler associated therewith, bagcharging means, means for applying power to drive the aforesaid elements, and means controlled by said feeler for coincidently disconnecting the power and shutting ofi" the flow of material through neans. I 1 61. In a bag-fillin machine, the combination of a series of ag-holders, means for drawing the bags in succession onto said holder's, a bag-feelersassociated with the said means, a hopper for the filling material, means for applying power to drive the aforesaid devices, and means controlled by said feeler for coincidently disconnecting the power and. shutting off the discharge said charging of material from the hopper.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my .hand in the presence of two subscribingwitnesses, this 11th day of November 1909.

GUY L. HOYT. Witnesses: F I A I W E. OUNON, V .WILLI-AM Rosanna, 

